The present invention relates to a passbook printer, and more particularly to a passbook printer installed at a financial institution and a maintenance method thereof.
When a passbook is inserted into a passbook printer for printing data regarding deposits and savings at a financial institution, in general, the printer operates as follows:
1) a magnetic stripe reading/writing unit reads user account data written in a magnetic stripe provided as a magnetic recording medium stuck to the backside of the passbook;
2) the result of reading is transferred to a host computer;
3) printing is carried out on a specified place of the passbook according to a printing command transferred from the host computer; and
4) data on the magnetic stripe is updated by the reading/writing unit, and then the passbook is ejected.
There are adjusting and setting values, e.g., a printer mechanism adjusting value, a communication speed setting value and so on, which need to be set for each individual printer. Usually, such adjusting and setting values are stored in a nonvolatile memory (NVRAM) mounted on a control board provided to control a printing speed of the printer, and then the printer is shipped. The passbook printer installed at the financial institution executes a printing operation based on the adjusting and setting values stored in the nonvolatile memory.
The control board having the nonvolatile memory mounted thereon needs to be replaced by a new one when it gets out of order. Conventionally, such replacement of the control board has been carried out by entry of setting and adjusting values in the nonvolatile memory mounted on the new control board.
This adjusting value setting operation has occupied a considerable period of time in the overall control board replacing work.
Therefore, it is object of the present invention to provide a passbook printer capable of reducing the burden of reentering adjusting and setting values thereof, and a maintenance method of the passbook printer.
In accordance with the present invention, a reading/writing unit provided in the passbook printer is utilized to enter the adjusting and setting values.
Specifically, as described above, the passbook printer is provided with a unit for reading/writing data in a magnetic stripe stuck to a passbook. When a control board is replaced, the adjusting and setting values (in this specification, the expression of operation control data is used as a concept including the both) of the passbook printer stored in a memory are written in a separately prepared magnetic stripe by using the reading/writing unit. Then, the operation control data written in the magnetic stripe after the replacement of the control board is read by using the reading/writing unit, and stored in the memory of a new replacement control board.
Therefore, the present invention provides a passbook printer for performing printing on a passbook having a beltlike magnetic recording layer provided therein. In this case, the passbook printer comprises: a memory for storing operation control data used to control an operation of the passbook printer; a magnetic head for executing reading of data from, alternatively writing of data in the beltlike magnetic recording layer provided in the passbook; and a control unit for instructing the magnetic head to read the operation control data from a saving magnetic recording medium when the saving magnetic recording medium storing the operation control unit is received from an external unit, and to store the read the operation control data in the memory.
According to the passbook printer of the present invention, by making use of the magnetic head originally provided in the passbook printer, the operation control data of the passbook printer can be stored temporarily in an external magnetic storage medium, i.e., in the saving magnetic recording medium. After the replacement of the control board, the operation control data stored in the saving magnetic recording medium can be read by the magnetic head, and stored in the memory on a replaced control board. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the burden of complex work placed on a maintenance engineer to enter the operation control data all over again after the replacement of the control board like that in the conventional case.
No particular limitation is placed on the shape of the saving magnetic recording medium of the present invention, and the magnetic stripe stuck to the passbook can be used for such a purpose. In practice, however, since the magnetic stripe by itself cannot be used for the passbook printer, it is desired to use the magnetic stripe in combination with a holder. Accordingly, the present invention provides an operation control data storage medium consisting of a magnetic stripe for storing the operation control data of the printer and a holder for holding the magnetic stripe.
The operation control data of the passbook printer may be changed after its installation at a financial institution. Thus, the passbook printer of the present invention should preferably be provided with operation control data change displaying means for displaying the change of the operation control data from initial setting.
In the passbook printer of the present invention, the control unit should preferably make determination as to whether the operation control data stored in the memory has already been stored in the saving magnetic recording medium provided from the external unit.
The present invention also provides a passbook printer for performing printing on a passbook having a beltlike magnetic recording layer provided therein. In this case, the passbook printer comprises: a magnetic head for executing reading of data from, alternatively writing of data in the beltlike magnetic recording layer; a memory for storing operation control data used to control an operation of the passbook printer; and a control unit for instructing the magnetic head to write the operation control data stored in the memory in a saving magnetic recording medium received from an external unit.
According to the described passbook printer, the operation control data stored in the memory can be written in the saving magnetic recording medium as an externally provided magnetic recording medium before the replacement of the control board. Accordingly, it is possible to store the operation control data in a new replacement memory by using the saving magnetic recording medium after the replacement of the control board.
In the passbook printer of the present invention, it is desired that the control unit makes determination as to whether the operation control data stored in the memory has been changed from initial setting or not, and when determining a change, the control unit instructs writing of the operation control data stored in the memory in the saving magnetic recording medium provided from the external unit.
The saving magnetic recording medium of the present invention is received by the passbook printer as in the case of the passbook. Accordingly, the writing of the operation control data in the saving magnetic recording medium is performed while the saving magnetic recording medium is arranged in a position for executing reading/writing of the data on the passbook.
The foregoing passbook printer of the present invention uses a magnetic recording system as a precondition, but the present invention is not limited to such a recording system. The present invention can be applied as long as the printer includes a unit for reading or writing data from/in a data recording medium provided in a printed matter as a medium for printing. Then, according to the present invention, by using the reading/writing unit, control data regarding the operation of the printer can be read or written from/in the data storage medium outside the printer.
Therefore, in the present invention, a printer is provided for printing a specified item on a predetermined place of a printed matter having an data storage portion. In this case, the printer comprises: a memory for storing control data regarding an operation of the printer; a reading/writing unit for executing reading/writing of data in the data storage portion of the printed matter; control data writing instructing means for instructing the reading/writing unit to write the control data stored in the memory in a saving external storage medium received by the printer from an external unit; and control data reading instructing means for instructing the reading/writing unit to read the control data, and to store the same in a replacement memory after the printer receives the saving external storage medium storing the control data, if the memory is replaced by a different replacement memory.
The present invention can be applied to an data processor other than the printer. In the present invention, an data processor is provided for reading/writing data in an data storage medium having an data storage portion. In this case, the data processor comprises: a memory for storing control data regarding an operation of the data processor; a reading/writing unit for executing reading/writing of data in the data storage portion of the data storage medium; control data writing instructing means for instructing the reading/writing unit to write the control data stored in the memory in a saving data storage medium received by the data processor from an external unit; and control data reading instructing means for instructing the reading/writing unit to read the control data and to store the same in the memory when the data processor receives the saving data storage medium storing the control data from the external unit, in the case where the control data written in the saving data storage medium is reproduced. For example, in the case of applying the present invention to an data processor such as POS or the like, control data can be printed as a bar code, and read by a bar code reader. In the case of applying the present invention to an OCR device, control data can be printed on a saving sheet as a character or a symbol, and read by the OCR device. Further, in the case of applying the invention to a magnetic card or an IC card processor, control data can be written in a saving card.
Operation control data is set for each passbook printer when the printer is shipped by a passbook printer manufacturer. Thus, at the time of passbook printer shipping, the operation control data can be stored in the magnetic stripe of the foregoing external data storage medium. This external data storage medium is stored such that its correspondence to the passbook printer can be identified. Then, the operation control data can be stored in the memory of a new control board provided at the time of the replacement of the control board of the passbook printer by using the external data storage medium.
Therefore, the present invention provides a maintenance method of a passbook printer. In this case, the passbook printer is provided with a memory for storing printer operation control data used to control an operation of the printer, and a reading/writing unit for reading/writing data in an data storage medium provided in a passbook. The maintenance method of the passbook printer comprises: a memory installing step of replacing the memory to install a new memory; and a printer operation control data storing step of causing the reading/writing unit to read the printer operation control data from an external data storage medium storing the printer operation control data, and to store the read printer operation control data in the new memory.
The operation control data may be changed from initial data after the installation of the passbook printer at a financial institution. In such a case, the operation control data set at the time of passbook printer shipping cannot be used. Therefore, in the maintenance method of the passbook printer of the present invention, it is important to confirm that the printer operation control data has not been changed from the initial printer operation control data, before the execution of the storing means installing step. If it is confirmed that the printer operation control data has not been changed from the initial data, then, in the printer control data storing step, the printer operation control data is read from an external data storage medium previously storing the initial printer operation control data. On the other hand, if it is confirmed that the printer operation control data has been changed from the initial data, then, after the execution of the printer operation control data confirming step, a printer operation control data writing step of writing the printer operation control data stored in the storing means in the external data storage medium is executed and, in the printer operation control data storing step, the printer operation control data is read from the external data storage medium having the printer operation control data written therein in the printer operation control data writing step.
On the assumption that the printer operation control data has been changed from the initial data, the present invention provides a maintenance method of an data processor. In this case, the data processor is provided with a control board for controlling an operation of the data processor, and a reading/writing unit for reading/writing data in an data storage medium. The maintenance method comprises: a control data writing step regarding an operation of the data processor, provided to write operation control data of the data processor stored on the control board in an external data storage medium by the reading/writing unit; a control board installing step of replacing the control board to install a new control board; and a control data storing step regarding an operation of the data processor, provided to read the control data of the data processor operation written in the external data storage medium by the reading/writing unit, and store the read control data of an operation of the data processor on the new control board.
The processing of writing the printer operation control data stored on the control board in the external data storage medium can be carried out at an optional time after the installation of the passbook printer at a financial institution. In other words, the control data writing step may not necessarily accompany the maintenance work for replacing the control board. Therefore, the present invention provides a maintenance method of an data processor. In this case, the data processor is provided with a control board for controlling an operation of the data processor, and a reading/writing unit for reading/writing data in an data storage medium. The maintenance method comprises: a step of making confirmation as to whether control data of an data processor operation stored on the control board has been updated; and a control data writing step regarding an operation of the data processor, provided to write the updated control data of the data processor operation in an external data storage medium by the reading/writing unit, if it is confirmed that the control data of the data processor operation has been updated.